How do you get rid or Opssums & Racoons ???

"Five" was anecdotal and I should have said "several", either way the result is true that a void in a territory, especially when food supply/ attraction still exists, will attempt to be filled. We used to say kill/ remove one and you light a vacancy sign for another to move in.

Must keep in mind that although you may have several to dozens of raccoons in your/ their territory these animals do not all seek out and bother one chicken coop or property. Just like we humans vary so greatly they are also very much unique individuals; some are smarter than others, some are better behaved than others... Some are normally well behaved but pushed towards extreme hunger (such as a mother trying to feed her babies back in her den) they sometimes ignore their own better judgement and risk their lives to obtain food.

So it may seem you have eliminated all raccoons, for instance, but more than likely you got lucky and eliminated the only one who was pushing their luck lately for some reason and causing your conflict. I can attest that I have personally known many raccoons in my life and when I say they are each so unique and varied in temperament... is an understatement! And please don't forget what I said about the mothers training their offspring and molding their behavior (ie, don't waste your time with THOSE chickens, the electric fence will zap you/ the coop is too sturdy and the human locks them up tight every night without fail...)

Otherwise, you proved the point that killing/ removing them as a solution IS temporary, right? Why not be more responsible and 1) do more to protect your property and 2) accept that wildlife serves a purpose and has a right to exist. This may mean losing a chicken once in awhile. That's not pleasant, but it's nature and the bigger picture view is reality. You own your chickens, but your entire state shares mutual ownership of all wildlife resources.

As a collective stakeholder group we ALL have a daily obligation to comprehend the value of wildlife, know more about various species we are encountering, and do our part to coexist better.

You are right, wildlife does have a place. In the wild. When they enter my immediate living space (house, barn, yard) and cause harm/damage then all bets are off. I have no issues with wildlife in the woods and fields. Come into my space, threaten me or my livestock, try to damage my buildings and they will be dispatched.

If the State and the People want to claim ownership of the wild creatures then let them also take the responsibility for paying for the damage they cause. I've seen deer clear a field of newly sprouted corn. I've seen groundhogs burrow and damage the foundations of buildings. I've seen same groundhogs burrow and cause injury to livestock and tractors. I've seen wild hogs devastate acres and acres of forest and field. I've yet to see the State or any of the People step up and exert their "collective stake" in said wildlife to compensate the property owner for the damages caused by the collectivists' wildlife.

Kit Parker said:

Otherwise, you proved the point that killing/ removing them as a solution IS temporary, right? Why not be more responsible and 1) do more to protect your property and 2) accept that wildlife serves a purpose and has a right to exist. This may mean losing a chicken once in awhile. That's not pleasant, but it's nature and the bigger picture view is reality. You own your chickens, but your entire state shares mutual ownership of all wildlife resources.

As a collective stakeholder group we ALL have a daily obligation to comprehend the value of wildlife, know more about various species we are encountering, and do our part to coexist better. 

Click to expand...

Citizens do not need to "claim" ownership. The Public Trust Doctrine governing all natural resources assures that "all and no one" are equal. As always in history, you have certain rights to protect your property and certain allowances. Double standards abound here, however, for some species will get you in trouble.

Anyway, you're going to do what you're going to do. Personally, I find it more challenging and extremely rewarding to outwit them. But not everyone can.

PS - Farmers, ranchers, property owners are often compensated for many of the damages you referred to. It's not accurate to imply there is not a compensation program, as there is in every state.

A websites for more free info on outwitting various species. There are many new ideas and solutions available today that not only work well, they are the responsible approach:

www.411RaccoonSolutions.com - this company will offer free consultation, and very small fee for in-depth job consultation for DYI property owners.

edited by staff

And many of those "compensation" programs are very specific and limited. One I'm familiar with here was with an uncle of mine. He had a huge swath of one of his newly planted/sprouted fields decimated by local deer. When he applied to the state for some nuisance permits they said no and then asked if he wanted his name added to the list so that prospective hunters might contact him he said no as he didn't want a bunch of strangers tromping around his farm doing more damage than the deer. They added him to the list anyway. Yep. Such a helpful and useful compensation program there.

The State may not claim ownership nor take responsibility for it but they sure are quick and severe with fines and punishment if you do anything to protect your property that harms their precious resource that is doing damage to your property.

Having grown up around and involved in ranching, farming, and hunting my entire life, I am well aware of how much those groups do overall to protect and help wildlife. Nothing I like better than seeing wildlife when out hiking. However when said wildlife comes into my yard, harms my livestock, or damages my home and other buildings, it is time for said wildlife to be dealt with. I would never dream of killing wildlife for the heck of it. Dispatching a creature is never something done lightly. But I will always give priority to my livestock, my livelihood, and my family.

If anyone is willing to provide their address, I'll gladly trap and send them the critters rather than dispatch them.

Getting some Duke DP traps before I move the hens in to the coop. Relocating them just moves your headache to someone else's area. They are nasty little buggers (Rocket Racoon from Guardian's of the Galaxy notwithstanding) and will decimate your flock. Our Rottie-Shepherd mix can only do so much, when it is night time the little bustards do their best work. They are crafty little creatures, but haven't determined yet that Ruger or Smith and Wesson are NOT their friends. My neighbor leaves her sun room door open at night and they drink the water bowl and eat the leftover dog food. She was a little annoyed when I said I would dispatch them post haste. You would think an old biddy would appreciate chickens.

Welcome!!! Maybe she will love your chickens and eggs, or maybe she had a bad rooster experience? I have had fewer raccoon and possum issues since I quit feeding treats outside of the run and coop. Definitely helped! My coop is very safe too. Beyond that, live traps and the 22 are what we do here. No relocating, except for nice cats. One of them is our clinic greeter now! Mary

Is it likely an opossum or raccoon when you find broken shells around the yard?
We thought we might have one so we set a trap with a couple of eggs at the back and they were laying next to the trap in the morning, trap still set . This is the kind where they would have to go in and put a little pressure on a platform and the gate would slam shut.
It's upsetting!! I lost my first hen (Henrietta) Monday and my husband noticed a drop in egg count leading up to that. I thought it may have been the heat until I found my girl in the run. She was intact but with what looked like a hole in her chest? I dunno. Do these guys come out to get eggs during the daytime??

There is a motion activated sprinkler that works great for keeping all kinds of animals: cats, raccoons, opossum, etc. away from an area. It's called the Scarecrow. It sprays a critter with water and scares them off. It is harmless and effective- no need to kill something just because it is foraging for food in the wrong place. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...w+sprinkler&sprefix=scarecrow+,automotive,168